Dashboards are a great way to track key metrics of your school’s performance. But which metrics should you track? And how do you know if you’re getting -- and sharing -- the numbers that matter?

We’ve compiled a few resources to help you tackle this important tool.

• “Reading between the numbers” by Rebekah Birch Basinger. In Trust published this article in 2007, but its wisdom is just as relevant today. Basinger reminds us of the importance of context when looking at the numbers.

• “A nonprofit dashboard and signal light for boards,” from Blue Avocado, discusses the ways to use color in a dashboard report to make it easier to understand. (There is a link to this article in this blog post.)

• “Ten steps to developing a dashboard of key metrics,” a new article from the Association of Theological Schools, provides ten steps to get started using a dashboard. It also includes three samples of how to use dashboards with different audiences.

• "Dashboards: What's on yours?" This on-demand webinar, a collaboration between the In Trust Center, the Association of Theological Schools, and the Auburn Center for the Study of Theological Education, outlines the essential components of an effective dashboard, as well as how to develop one.

Do you use a dashboard? What are your best practices?


Image: Creative Commons.